The Supreme Court has extended its interim protection to Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi, who is facing legal action over a social media post containing a poem.
The court questioned Gujarat Police over the FIR registered against him, emphasising the importance of creativity in artistic expressions.
During the hearing, a bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan remarked that the poem in question did not target any particular community.
The judges noted that the verses conveyed a message of peace and non-violence rather than inciting disharmony. The bench granted Gujarat Police additional time to file its response and scheduled the next hearing for March 3.
Pratapgarhi, the national chairman of the Congress minority cell, was booked by Jamnagar police under multiple sections of the law.
The charges included promoting enmity between different religious groups, making statements prejudicial to national integration, and abetting offences involving public gatherings.
The FIR was based on a video clip posted on December 29, which featured the poem "Ae Khoon Ke Pyase Baat Suno" in the background.
A local resident lodged the complaint, alleging that the poem’s content was provocative and harmful to national integrity.
Following this, Pratapgarhi approached the Gujarat High Court, seeking to have the FIR quashed. He argued that the poem aimed to spread a message of love and non-violence rather than incite hatred.
On January 17, the High Court declined his plea, stating that further investigation was necessary. The court also noted that Pratapgarhi had not fully cooperated with the ongoing inquiry. Following this decision, he moved the Supreme Court, which has now granted him interim relief.
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